- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Local authorities put a ban on large gatherings and suspended mobile internet services in Churachandpur in the northeastern state of Manipur following a violence ahead of a visit by the state’s chief minister, N Biren Singh, to the district bordering the neighbouring country of Myanmar.
On Thursday (27), a mob attacked the venue of an event which was to be attended by Singh and set it on fire, allegedly over the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government’s survey of reserved and protected forests and areas such as wetlands, NDTV reported.
According to a report by the Free Press Journal, the mob vandalised the newly constructed Open Gym at PT Sports Complex in New Lamka area of Churachandpur, which was scheduled to be inaugurated by the chief minister on Friday (28). The district police quickly intervened to bring the situation under control.
S Thienlaljoy Gangte, additional deputy commissioner of Churachandpur district wrote in the government order issued to ban gatherings that the decision was taken following a police report that cited “likelihood of breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquility and grave danger to human lives and properties” in the district, the NDTV report added.
The order also spoke about “total shutdown called by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum and the likelihood of mobilisation of the public through social media and networking sites” for the suspension of mobile internet services.
Mobile internet services were also suspended in Pherzawl district adjoining Churachandpur district for five days.
Condemning the incident, Singh was quoted as saying by NDTV, “MLA of that constituency requested us to inaugurate an open air gym. But some anti-social people came and vandalised it. We are not worried about threats from such people. MLA has requested me not to come today but after the gym is repaired. What are indigenous tribals? I don’t want to comment on them. They are involved in anti-developmental activities.”
Visuals of the incident showed huge crowds vandalising chairs and property inside a hall where the chief minister was set to visit.
The authorities did not confirm whether the programme had been cancelled, the NDTV report added.
